Chapter 20
Richard's POV
By evening, I dragged myself back to the mansion, exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders. I'd spent the entire day dealing with investors withdrawing, my nerves stretched to breaking point.
All I wanted was to see Grace—either to scold her for not answering her phone or to demand she help salvage those partnerships and investors. I strode toward the master bedroom and pushed open the door.
"Grace, we need to talk—"
But only deathly silence greeted me. The bedroom was unnaturally tidy, missing Grace's favorite throw pillow on the bed, while her dressing table stood bare, devoid of her usual perfumes and skincare products.
I hurried to the walk-in closet and switched on the light. Grace's wardrobe had noticeably thinned out—her books, perfume-making supplies, and casual clothes were all gone. Yet the expensive jewelry and designer gowns I'd bought her for social events still hung there, like a silent mockery.
I thought she was just angry and would leave for a few days, but I never expected she would actually move out. No notice, no arguments, just... disappeared?
"Is the bad woman finally gone?"
Emma's voice came from the doorway. I turned to see her excitedly clapping her small hands.
"Daddy, can Laura-auntie stay with us forever now? She promised when the bad woman left, she could live with us forever!"
Something snapped in my mind. All the pressure, frustration, and confusion that had accumulated throughout the day erupted in that moment.
"Shut up!" I shouted, my voice so loud it startled even myself.
Emma froze, her blue eyes widening in shock. She had never seen me lose my temper like this.
"Don't talk about Grace that way! She's your mother!"
"No, she's not!" Emma defiantly responded, tears welling in her eyes.
Emma ran toward me, her tiny fists flying in anger. Losing control, I roughly pushed her away. She stumbled backward, fell to the floor, and burst into loud sobs.
"What's going on?" Laura's voice called from downstairs, followed by hurried footsteps.
---
After putting a crying Emma to bed, Laura entered the study with a cup of coffee. I sat in a darkened corner, face buried in my hands, an empty whiskey glass at my side.
"Emma's asleep," Laura said softly, placing the coffee before me. "I told her you were just tired from work."
I looked up, my bloodshot eyes betraying my distress. "I shouldn't have treated her that way."
"No, you shouldn't have," Laura sat beside me, gently rubbing my back. "But I understand. Company troubles, and now Grace is gone too, right?"
"She took her things," my voice rasped. "Left without a word."
Laura's expression flickered with satisfaction before returning to concern. "I'm sorry. I know the company pressure is enormous, and Grace was being inconsiderate, but I understand what you're going through."
I drained the last of my whiskey, feeling the burning sensation in my throat.
Laura squeezed my hand gently. "Grace's perfume development department is now leaderless, with the new release just around the corner. If you trust me, I could temporarily take her position."
I looked up at her.
"After all," Laura continued, her voice sweet yet confident, "we worked on perfume development since college. I'm familiar with her style. No one knows her work methods better than I do."
I studied Laura's face. She always appeared when I needed her most, providing exactly what I required. Unlike Grace, Laura never questioned me, never challenged my decisions, always stood firmly on my side.
"Alright," I finally said. "I'll inform the department, and you can report to the office tomorrow. I'll have HR process your employment paperwork."
Laura smiled, leaning in to embrace me. "You won't regret this, Richard. I'll do better than she ever did."
"Laura," I whispered against her hair, "once we get through this difficult period, when things settle down, I promise I'll convince my parents and grandmother to accept you. I'll make everything right."
She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. "But your grandfather's will..."
"I know," I said. "If my grandmother discovers our relationship, she'll donate all assets to charity according to the clause. But once the IPO is complete, we'll have more capital and influence. When she passes, we can finally be free."
Laura's tears subsided, replaced by a fragile smile. "Don't let me down, Richard, okay?"
"Never," I promised.
I leaned down to kiss her, but when I closed my eyes, Grace's face flashed in my mind—her stubborn chin, those intelligent eyes, and the way her nose crinkled when she laughed.
I jerked back, startled by the intrusive thought.
"What's wrong?" Laura asked, concern etched across her face.
"Nothing," I lied, avoiding her gaze. "I'm just tired. We should get some sleep."
I turned away, preventing her from detecting my guilt. Laura was too perceptive.
---
The next morning, Laura had changed into business attire, her demeanor completely transformed.
"I've reviewed Grace's project, and the market analysis and perfume formulas aren't complicated. I can handle it," she said.
She opened her laptop, showing me detailed slides and formulations. "I made these last night."
"You did all this yourself?" I asked, genuinely impressed.
"Grace isn't the only one with skills," Laura said. "Everything she can do, I can do better."
She wrapped her arms around my waist, looking up at me expectantly. I placed my hands over hers, acknowledging her work, her faint dark circles testament to her efforts.
"You've done excellently. I'm confident the clients will be just as impressed with your market analysis and perfume formulations as they were with Grace's."
"It's getting late," I added, gently disentangling her hands. "We should go."
After human resources processed Laura's employment paperwork, I personally accompanied her to meet with the clients. The project manager had repeatedly expressed their desire to work directly with Grace, but I believed Laura's expertise and sincerity would win them over.
While waiting in the reception area, I tried to encourage her. "The adjustments you've made to the formula are actually more nuanced than Grace's original version."
Laura took a deep breath, giving herself a pep talk. "I won't let you down. I won't let Grace win."
After waiting nearly thirty minutes, the meeting room door finally opened. Instead of the project director, a young assistant emerged, looking apologetic.
"Mr. Harrison, I'm terribly sorry, but Mr. Sterling had an urgent matter come up today. We'll need to reschedule the meeting."
I maintained my composure on the surface, though my hand involuntarily tightened. "Reschedule? The perfume series is about to launch. How can you casually reschedule such a critical meeting?"
The assistant's eyes darted briefly to Laura, then back to me, her real message clear. "Will Mrs. Harrison be coming next time?"
The implication couldn't be more obvious: they only wanted Grace, not Laura as a substitute. The meeting wasn't canceled due to an emergency; it was canceled because Grace wasn't there.
Laura's face beside me tightened as the reality gradually sank in.